PANDORA
After years of effort, I found a station I enjoy on Pandora. That sounds dramatic, but consider my experience: I've registered twice in a period of two years and, disappointed, returned a couple times per registration optimistic that the library and algorithms would be improved. Basically, I found the results of my searches predictable, boring, or too unrelated to my expectations.
I was part of the problem, I realize. Why you're searching is more important than what you're searching for. I would turn to Pandora in those rare moments of iTunes-playlist boredom, search something like "Radiohead," then hope for flawless music. I'd leave dissappointed.
Eventually, Evan showed me a station he made for King Crimson. It came up with just what he wanted: experimental, progressive music from the 70's and 80's. I signed up again and searched The Album Leaf, wanting to hear more soft, instrumental, electronic-ish music. It didn't have to be "flawless" soft, instrumental, electronic-ish because I didn't really know what that would be.
Of the first 30 songs I listened to, I gave eight the "thumbs up," three the "thumbs down," and found the remaining 19 pleasant. I also downloaded four albums from two of 15-or-so artists that appeared on the station.
I'll probably never be a Pandora devotee (to much music library), but it's finally a tool I can recommend.
I too was greatly intrigued and then greatly disappointed by pandora (I like ghostface, so I like all of ghostface's weedcarriers now too?). The problem with their business model is that programming nerds don't actually understand what people want to listen to or why. They think that music is like a search term and if they return enough like terms, people will be happy. Same problem applies to the netflix recommending engine.
ReplyDeleteThe Netflix engine makes it seem like there aren't that many movies. Like, does "Nim's Island" really relate to everything I put in my queue?
ReplyDeleteNext time you need to concentrate on writing you should log into Pandora and create a "Flying Lotus" station. I found it pretty flawless, just the thing if you've had too much coffee and need to concentrate.
Try it on for size; let me know how it fits.
You could also just listen to www.dublab.com. That's some excellent shit.